Staff report

SALISBURY — The South Atlantic Conference baseball game between Catawba and Wingate was suspended by Friday night’s rain here at Newman Park.

Catawba leads, 3-0, after four complete innings. The game was halted at 7:02 p.m., with Wingate about to bat in the top of the fifth inning.

Catawba, 16-7 overall, leads the SAC with a 7-2 mark. Wingate is 13-12 and 4-2.

Catawba ace Russ Weiker started on the mound and had hurled four innings of one-hit baseball. Weiker struck out six Bulldogs and walked just one.

The Indians grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a two-run double off the bat of Zach Almond.

In the fourth inning after one out, Nick Coble blasted a home run to push the Catawba lead to 3-0.

Weather permitting, the game will resume at 3 p.m. today, followed by a seven-inning game. The third game of the weekend series will now be played on Sunday at 3:00, at Newman Park.

It is unlikely that neither Weiker nor Wingate starter Brandon Donahue will return to the mound today. Weiker had thrown 62 pitches during the first four innings, compared to 80 for Donahue.